Thunder's Russell Westbrook serves Thanksgiving dinner at the Boys & Girls Club for 7th straight year

Russell Westbrook was serving mashed potatoes, but the young Boys & Girls Club member in front of him said his favorite was the rolls.

“I like the rolls too,” said Westbrook, who actually likes mac & cheese the best. “Do you like butter with rolls?”

The boy’s head only cleared the table by about six inches, but he shook it adamantly at the Thunder's star point guard.

“No?” Westbrook gasped. “No butter?”

The Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation hosted its seventh annual Thanksgiving dinner with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County Thursday, partnering with the Oklahoma City Association of Professional Landmen for the fifth straight year.

“When I first started here at the Boys & Girls Club,” said A. Jaye Johnson, senior director of communications and facilities at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, “we served from maybe 45 to 55, 60 people. And here it is 17 years later, and we’re serving meals for a little over 800 kids and their families. It’s just remarkable.”

Before Westbrook’s charity got involved, the club’s board members and staff cooked the Thanksgiving meal themselves. Then Westbrook, who grew up in California going to the local Boys & Girls Club, decided he wanted to connect with the club in his new home.

“There’s so many things you learn being at the Boys & Girls Club,” Westbrook said. “Understanding different races, different cultures, understanding different families, how different kids were raised. You learn a lot about yourself, about other people, that molds you into who you are, into who I am today.”

Westbrook invited Thunder rookie Hamidou Diallo to come to the event with him, and he did, ladling out green beans by Westbrook’s side. Russell Westbook's brother, Ray, was on dressing on his other side. 

The gym swarmed with children and their families. Local media members hovered by the Thunder players' serving station, snapping photos and recording videos – a much different scene than a group of club employees handing out plates to 45 people. 

Westbrook talked to each kid that passed through. And, of course, spread the word that even Hawaiian rolls are best with butter, toasted.